Thank you!

So we all know the benefits of hands-on learning, if not go back and read here. And we all want those benefits for our kids. But how do we fit it all in?

How do we find time to do the task and clean the mess? And what about planning, how do I do that? Plus the mess itself!

There are lots of reasons we don't do more hands-on learning. I'm guilty of it too; especially when it comes to history!

The 2 main things that come between us and the benefits of experiential learning are TIME and MESS!

Some of us have the time but hate the mess. Others don't mind the mess but really don't have the time to prepare. So lets look at some ways to make things easier for both groups!

Ways to Decrease the Time Needed for Hands-on Learning Activities

Plan

Cover multiple subjects

Use activities for multiple kids

Plan - Wait, what? You may be asking, isn't this supposed to take less time? Well, yes, but you have to put some time in at the beginning to save time in the end. Plan the activity you want to do and write it down. Write down when you want to do it and the supplies you need for it. If you don't write it down you won't set aside time for it, and you won't have what you need meaning an extra trip to the store or more likely, you skip the activity.Now if it is written in your lesson plans you can leave more time on that particular day to complete the activity. You can also see what you need before you get that day. If it is something you have never done, familiarize yourself with the instructions ahead of time.Bonus tip, gather all the supplies you need Sunday, and store them together until you are ready for the activity.Now when you see an activity on the calendar you won't have to stress out about not being prepared or having time to do it.Cover Multiple Subjects - Another great way too save time and maximize hands-on learning benefits is to use activities that cover multiple subjects.If you are doing a science experiment, have the kids write a report as well or at least fill in a scientific report sheet. Now they are practicing writing or at lest handwriting as well. It would be pretty easy to sneak in some vocabulary too.The same can be done with a history project. Have the kids create a presentation of someone from the past complete with costume. Not only will they learn about the person what they were responsible in history, but they can also learn about that time period and geography as well as organizing a presentation.You can have real fun with this too when you make it edible. Then the project involves the core subject, plus food preparation, and doubles as a snack!

Use for Multiple Kids - This is something many homeschoolers already do, look for curriculum that will work for multiple ages. The same can be done with hands-on learning. Crafts can be simplified for younger kids or older children can help the younger ones thus learning some responsibility too. If an older child is using magnets to work on spelling, a younger child might work on letter recognition.

Ways to Decrease the Mess Created by Hands-on Learning Activities

Go Outside

Teach Kids to Clean Up

Use Ancillary Opportunities

Go Outside - Simple enough. Learn using sidewalk chalk outside or throwing a ball back and forth or one of our favorites, shooting the answers with Nerf guns.

Take a nature walk and observe. So much science can be learned with good observation skills.

Teach Kids to Clean Up - Here we go combining skills again. You found a really cool, science experiment, sensory bin, or general learning activity, but you know it will be messy. Let your kids enjoy that mess as long as hey clean it up.

Even preschoolers can work a small broom and dustpan or a rag with a spray bottle of vinegar.

They might not clean it perfectly, but it gets the bulk done for you, and they get to practice some life skills.

Use Ancillary Opportunities - That's right, take advantage of all those field trips and co-op days to do things you really don't want to deal with at home.

Even just sharing duties with another mom who doesn't mind the mess will cut down on work for you plus kids will have more fun learning with their friends!

Implementing these few tips should make hands-on learning manageable for those with little time and those who don't enjoy the mess.

And if you can manage the time and mess hands-on learning really can be fun, even for history!

If you are looking for even more ideas on adding hands-on learning to your already messy, busy week, follow along on email and grab this printable by joining our Free Resource Library!

Go ahead and send me an email with other hands-on learning questions you have! ashley@lifewithmoorebabies.com

Are you like me and love making big messes with your kids or did you cringe?

I bet the majority of the people reading cringed. I mean what kind of crazy person wants to spend extra time planning and putting together something just for their kids to make a gigantic mess?

Well, me, and everyone who has really seen the benefits of experiential learning. And hopefully, by the end of this post, you will be one of those people.

To start off, I want to go over the benefits of learning through experiences or hands-on learning.

For those just wanting a list; here it is in no particular order. But if you really want to learn why and how, read the explanations further down, and then I dare you not to want to jump into hands-on head first!

Benefits of Hands-on Learning

More enjoyable

More engaging for the child and the brain

Benefits multiple learning styles

Improves memory

Better problem solving

Increased independence

Can assess learning more effectively

Now that we know the benefits of hands-on learning lets look a bit closer at each benefit.

More enjoyable

This one is a no brainer. Almost every kid on the planet would rather be up moving around and interacting with something rather then listening to a lecture. Also, hands-on activities are great for sparking a new found interest in subjects previously viewed as dull.

More engaging

When you enjoy something you are going to pay attention to it, you are going to spend time on it, you are going to absorb it. Not only are kids more intentional with hands-on experiences, but the brain is more engaged. It has been shown that multiple areas of the brain are activated during experiential learning.

Benefits multiple learning styles

You probably already know that everyone has one main way they learn best. No matter which way you learn, you use your senses to do so.

Hands-on experiences are multi-sensory, so they can benefit many of these learning styles including: auditory, visual, and kinesthetic lerning.

Improves memory

Have you heard that writing things down helps you remember them, or that doodling during a lecture or meeting can help you remember the information?

Hands-on activities can result in even better memory then writing or doodling! It is because of that brain engagement. More areas of the brain are stimulated because more of the senses are being used. More brain stimulation means more neural connections. More connections means better memory!

Increases independence

While everyone has a preferred learning style, actually doing what you have been taught is the best way to internalize it.

I mean how comfortable were you the first time you had to cook a meal? Probably not very unless you already had a lot of experience in someone else's kitchen. But after you have done it, it isn't so daunting. And the more you practice it the easier it gets. The same is true of any skill.

Problem solving

This is a big one for me because problem solving ability is so, so important. Providing activities where the students have to make a decision and then get feedback from the decision (whether positive or negative) means the kids have to actively think about their choices.

And when something does go wrong, they have to think about how to fix it. Fixing it shows them they can do it, even when it doesn't turn out perfect the first time.

Realizing that mistakes do not equal failure is a great lesson too.

Assess learning more effectively

I think everyone knows that multiple choice tests are really not a good reflection of how much a student knows. Yet, multiple choice tests are standard.

Why not try assessing kids through a hands-on activity at the end of a unit? Can they use the skills taught to come up with a solution? Does their solution work? Can they problem solve when they get hung up somewhere? If so, they learned!

Do you see how much experiential learning can benefit kids? And you can use it for most any subject. And you know what else, it doesn't have to be hard, messy, or super time consuming!

Ready to get started? Snoop around the blog for lots of ideas to try with your kids or head over to Pinterest for more ideas then you could ever need!

Follow Along

Search This Blog

Disclosure

This site uses cookies from Google to deliver its services and to analyze traffic. Your IP address and user-agent are shared with Google along with performance and security metrics to ensure quality of service, generate usage statistics, and to detect and address abuse.

Host a Party; Earn FREE Books!

Labels

Pinterest

Amazon Affiliate Disclosure

Ashley Moore is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.